With so many different guides, hot tips, new stats and trends coming at us each day, it is easy to get bombarded, even confused by the plethora of information and misinformation available in the marketplace. To set the record straight, we collected eight common content marketing myths and explain why they wreak havoc on the lives of professional marketers.

Myth #1: Creating good content is easy.

Producing quality content takes time, research, skill and expertise. It requires an understanding of your target audiences and what motivates, stimulates and engages them. That’s why creating good content involves a commitment and an investment in more ways than one.

Myth #2: A plan is just a list of tactics.

One of our most recent blog posts discussed the importance of developing a solid content marketing plan before the production process even starts. However, a plan isn’t just a list of tactics and initiatives you aim to implement. It requires a strategic foundation based on the company’s vision, mission, strategies, goals, budget, roles and realistic schedule.

Myth #3: Content is just words.

It’s a common mistake to think that content is just about text. Images, videos, checklists, infographics and other resources are necessary to attract your target audiences. Get creative with visuals, interactive content, webinars, podcasts and social media posts to take your content marketing to the next level.

Myth #4: Content only requires the expertise of a thought leader.

While content marketing is intended to establish thought leadership, a single thought leader isn’t sufficient. Assemble a diverse team that can help optimize content through a variety of different skill sets, experiences and beliefs. Foster synergy among writers, social media managers, executives, sales teams and others to create successes that will continue to build.

Myth #5: You’re lazy if you outsource content creation.

Running a company involves many different moving parts that need to come together smoothly. As such, leaders, managers and their teams wear many hats. But a good leader knows when to delegate and outsource content creation, especially when everyone is spread thin. While the first response to outsourcing content creation might be, “No one knows our products/services better than we do,” the reality is, it can save you time and money while improving quality and results.

Myth #6: The only measure of content marketing success is converting leads into customers.

This is likely one of the biggest misconceptions about content marketing. Sales and marketing teams have a tendency to become obsessed with revenue-generating projects that convert leads to new customers. However, good content marketing fulfills many more objectives including brand awareness, SEO, increased visibility, enhanced credibility and establishing your organization as an expert in the marketplace.

Myth #7: You must create daily content to compete.

With so much noise in the marketplace, it’s easy to feel the pressure to post, post, post. That said, high-quality content with a consistent frequency is more important than overpublishing content that lacks a strategic purpose. Establish a workable schedule that still allows for content production of the best quality.

Myth #8: Social media is for publishing original content.

Social media has established itself as a vital part of the content marketing process, and few would argue otherwise. Where social media fits into the process, however, is still being debated. Digital marketers and social media managers need to understand that social media is part of the content distribution process, not the content development process. All original content should start with your website and always link back to your own domain to ensure readers know how to find and credit your organization. But exposure doesn’t stop there. Use social media to nurture content distribution, including liking and sharing the works of others. That demonstrates professionalism and breadth of knowledge that earns trust and respect in the marketplace.

Content Marketing Myths: Be on the Lookout

Content marketing has never been more important for businesses. But with all the information being shared, some is less than reliable. By becoming aware of common content marketing myths, marketers can take steps to avoid them. To optimize their content marketing programs, marketers should commit to ongoing education, research and testing to determine what works. These practices are especially important in executing a content marketing plan that achieves critical organizational goals.

To learn more about content marketing and how to use it to generate sales, register for our upcoming webinar How to Increase Sales with the Power of Content Marketing.